I finally arrived in Beijing, China after an entire day of traveling. The first two things I saw upon leaving the airport was ‘fluff’ falling in the sky, and beautiful and colorful flowers everywhere. I was very confused about the fluff, however, later I learned that this snow-like fluff was pollen from the trees. In addition to the pollen, there were many beautiful flower fields and flowers that lined the highways. It gave Beijing an extremely warm and welcoming feel.

Almost immediately after our arrival in China we visited a traditional restaurant and had a wonderful meal. It was an extremely unique experience, especially because of how the tables were set up. Each table was round, and had a large glass surface on a pivot, where you can place food and share food with others. This was the first time that I experienced sharing food with others in such a fashion, but I really enjoyed it because it allowed us to interact with each other at a different level. Everyone at the table quickly grew closer together through sampling new foods and learning more about traditional Chinese dining. Towards the end of the meal, we were served Peking duck. Peking duck is a dish that originated in Beijing (or Peking). The duck is fully cooked, and you make a wrap with vegetables, fruits, sauce and, of course, the duck. I have never eaten duck before, but this quickly became one of my favorite foods.

                The next day, we woke up early to walk The Great Wall of China. I was originally worried about climbing up The Great Wall of China due to my chronic pain in my hips that is aggravated further with walking.  Luckily I was able to take a cable car to the top of the wall. Before taking the cable car up the mountain, I realized that China is not nearly as handicapped friendly as the USA is. This was disappointing, but I understand that it could not be helped due to the way it was originally built and the mountainous topography of the land. I hope that eventually, Beijing will become more handicapped friendly so that those of us with disabilities can enjoy these historical sites even more. Although I was slightly upset that I could not climb up the stairs, I was still able to see stunning views from the cable car. After walking around and taking some photos, all of us were prepared to return back to the bus. Instead of walking down the stairs, we rode a toboggan down. The toboggan was a large and winding slide that extended from the top of the mountain to our original location. It was extremely fun and fast.  I wish I could have recorded it. Even though I was not able to, I will always remember riding down a slide from the top of The Great Wall of China.

                After The Great Wall visit, we all went to The Summer Palace. At The Summer Palace, we learned about Dowager Empress Tzu Hsi, or the last empress of China (she was also called “Dragon Lady”). She lived a very luxurious life which included traveling and living in The Summer Palace. Here, we saw the building that she dined in. She had a very extravagant dining experience. She would have three dinner setups which included 108 dishes each. The first set was for the Dragon Lady could view an appreciate the appearance, the second set was for the Dragon Lady to enjoy the smell of the food, and the third set was for her to taste all of them. I have never heard of anything like this before. Despite the strange story, it was still very interesting. The building was also very colorful and clearly appeared like it was made for royalty. The rest of The Summer Palace had many similarities in design, with each building and structure having its own unique story originating from the Dragon Lady.

                Overall, my first experiences in Beijing have been wonderful, beautiful and interesting. I am extremely excited to push myself further to experience new things and learn more about the culture and history of China. Beijing continues to surprise me with its stunning views and history.  I am so happy to be here!!